MindDrive: 15 Kansas City Students Transform a 1977 Lotus Esprit into an Electric Car

With a newly launched IndieGoGo campaign, Kansas City-based nonprofit organization MindDrive is raising funds to make a film about a group of at-risk youths who transformed a 1977 Lotus Esprit into an electric car and drove it coast to coast. Fifteen students were given the opportunity to drive the car as their journey was documented every step of the way. The film aims to share their story and show the benefits of a hands-on, experiential approach to education.

MindDrive’s project gathered 15 at-risk students from 5 different high schools in Kansas City, Missouri, and enabled them to work with mentors in designing, fabricating and converting a 1977 Lotus Esprit into a fully functional electric car. Through participation in the “Electrifying Education Coast to Coast” public education campaign, the kids drove the Esprit all the way from San Diego, California to Jacksonville, Florida.

The students, most of whom had never been outside of Kansas City, were given a chance to expand their horizons and learn about the country’s diversity. They made presentations about their electric car project at every charging stop along the way and in Florida, their final destination.

MindDrive has hired a professional film crew to travel with them, documenting the journey and conducting interviews with the students and mentors. In addition to the existing footage, portraying the kids’ experiences along the way, the team is looking to shoot more to describe the back story. The new material would show the students describing the impact this project has had on their lives. A documentary filmmaker is also needed for editing the feature-length film, along with someone who would help produce an original music score.